1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for obtaining fingerprint samples of a person completing an application form, and using those samples to verify that person's identity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and corresponding method in which a fingerprint sample of a person completing an application form is taken and stored for comparison with another fingerprint sample provided by that person on a different document to verify that the same person provided both samples.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various institutions such as insurance companies, banks, and credit companies are victimized by fraudulent schemes every year, and as a result, suffer millions of dollars of losses annually. Perhaps one of the most common schemes that occurs, especially in the insurance and banking arena, involves the use of an impostor or "stand-in" who misrepresents his or her identity in order to cash another person's check, use another person's credit card, or assist an ailing person in obtaining life insurance.
For example, most insurance companies require that an applicant wishing to obtain a life insurance policy undergo a physical examination prior to issuance of the policy. If the individual applying for insurance policy has an ailment which would ordinarily preclude that person from being eligible for life insurance, that person can use a "stand-in" to undergo the physical examination in that person's place. That is, although the actual insurance applicant will fill out the insurance form, a "stand-in" having no major ailment will undergo the physical examination and provide the necessary samples of urine, blood, and the like. Since the tests performed on those samples will reveal no ailments, the insurance applicant will be issued the insurance policy. If the applicant then dies due to his or her ailment, the insurance company will find it difficult to prove that the insured person was suffering from that ailment prior to obtaining the insurance policy, and thus will be forced to pay the insurance claim.
Although insurance companies currently use precautionary measures such as checking an individual's picture identification when the application for the insurance policy is being completed and when the individual is undergoing a physical examination, it is not uncommon for a stand-in to use false identification to misrepresent himself or herself as the applicant. Also, even though insurance companies require the applicant's signature on the insurance policy, it is often not difficult for a stand-in to forge the applicant's signature when signing the physical examination form. Furthermore, even though some insurance companies may include a copy of the applicant's photo identification with the application which the person performing the physical examination can use to verify whether the person being examined is indeed the applicant, a stand-in who's appearance closely resembles the applicant can be used to avert these precautionary measures.
A job applicant also may find it desirable to use a stand-in. For example, many private companies now require potential employees to undergo a physical examination and drug screening prior to being hired. Often the examination is conducted at a clinical laboratory not associated with the company. Hence, the person at the laboratory performing the examination and obtaining urine and blood samples has no way of positively identifying whether the individual providing the samples is the actual job applicant. Although most laboratories will require that the individual providing the sample present picture identification, as discussed above, it is often easy to obtain false identification.
In the banking and credit arena, it is not uncommon for a person with criminal intent to successfully cash a check or use a credit card of another illegally. Even though many banks and financial institutions require that an individual cashing a check or using a credit card present identification, false identification is often easy to obtain. Hence, previous efforts to prevent bank and credit card fraud have proven unsuccessful, because many financial institutions still suffer millions of dollars of losses each year due to illegal check cashing and credit card use.
In addition to a person's signature, photo identification and the like, it is known that a person's fingerprint can be used to verify that person's identity. For instance, as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,071,168 and 5,193,855 to Shamos, it is known for a hospital to take a fingerprint image of a patient so that that patient's identity can be verified when, for example, the patient is providing a specimen or undergoing a procedure at the hospital. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,428 to Klein discloses that it is known to capture a fingerprint image of a person purchasing a ticket on both the ticket and on a permanent record, so that the ticket purchaser's identity can be verified at a later date.
It is also known to request a fingerprint sample from a person in addition to that person's signature when the person is completing, for example, a document used in business. For instance, an insurance company may ask a person to provide a fingerprint sample on the application form in addition to that person's signature, while a bank may request that a person attempting to cash a check provide a fingerprint sample on the check. Also, as described in the Shamos patents discussed above, a person may be asked to provide a fingerprint sample when giving a specimen at a hospital or other medical facility.
Although these practices may be helpful in positively linking a single individual to a single document (e.g., an insurance applicant to an insurance form, a ticket purchaser to a ticket, and so on), a continuing need exists for an efficient system or process for positively verifying the identity of a person who is intended to handle several documents relating to a common transaction at different times and at different locations. For example, a continuing need exists for an efficient system and process for positively identifying an applicant, such as an insurance policy applicant, throughout various stages of the application process.
Additionally, it is often desirable to be capable of positively linking a donor, such as a blood donor, to the donated sample or specimen to be able to positively identify that the sample or specimen came from the donor. This is particularly crucial when a person about to undergo an operation donates blood that he or she intends to be used during that operation.
Typically, the bag or bags of donated blood will be stored at the hospital in which the operation is to be performed. The bags will generally include a label or sticker including the name, birthdate, social security number, and so on, of the person who donated the blood. However, if the labels are mismarked or misread, the person can inadvertently receive the wrong blood.
Accordingly, a continuing need exists for an effective system which will positively link a blood donor to the donated blood.